


Nyctophobia

by meiiihem



Series: Charlotte MacDuff/Tom Hiddleston [1]
Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Angst, Caring Tom, Darkness, F/M, Fear, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Nyctophobia, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Romance, actor!tom, trigger - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 21:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2244663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meiiihem/pseuds/meiiihem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Tom realises how afraid his girlfriend is of the dark. Could be triggering for people who are afraid of the dark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nyctophobia

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is related to my other oneshot "Left Alone" as the characters are the same. Chronologically this one takes time a long time before "Left Alone". English is not my native language and I am truly sorry for all the mistakes in the text. Have fun!

The nightlight that was plugged in the outlet right next to her side of the bed gave off a soft yellowish light. It had been hard to find this one, the perfect one.  
There was a whole box filled with nightlights under their bed, they had tested all of them. Tom got bothered by light when he was trying to sleep and Charlotte wasn't able to drop off even the slightest bit if it was completely dark. So they had tried out every variation of nightlights (If Tom liked one that didn't spend too much light, Charlotte was the one that spent the night sleepless and if Charlotte liked one, Tom was pestered because the light disturbed him) until this one appeared. 

She sighed and considered whether she should stay here, in the warm bed next to Tom or if she should stay up and go pee. The young woman really had to go to the toilette but it was always an agony. Other people didn't even need two minutes to get up and go to the loo but Charlotte needed way longer.  
She had to switch all the lights on and even then her heart was beating in a frantic rhythm. She turned and her gaze fell on Tom. He was sleeping, his pretty face peaceful. She could see the exhaustion in him, work was really hard these times. It was her bladder that made her stay up. 

She was wearing a pyjama which was made of green silk. A present from Tom, he always bought her expensive things like that. Her small body was shaking a bit as she slowly stepped towards the door and out of the room, leaving her boyfriend and the secure life behind her. The bathroom was at the end of the corridor.  
The hallway always occured a bit longer to her at night. She fastly walked to the lightswitch and turned it on.  
The beating of her heart got a bit more steady but the darkness which crawled up from the main floor and touched the steps of the stairs with its sticky hands still frightened the woman with the auburn hair. She wanted to go to the bathroom when suddenly, without a sound all the lights in the large house went out.  
Charlotte stood there for a moment. And then she dropped anaemicly to the ground, pulled her knees to her chin and stared into the darkness. Her breath was heavy, the heart in her chest pumping so hard that it made her rib cage ache. The woman that became a small girl at the age of eight in the moment the lights got out wasn't able to move. All she could do was staring, staring, staring with her eyes wide open. 

Charlotte felt how her bladder voided. She didn't knew whether she peed herself because she couldn't hold herself anymore or because of her fear. Tears were streaming over her face, she was shaking. Not a single sound escaped her pinched lips. That was how she sat there, on the cold floor in a pool of pee. Waiting for the sun to rise and the nightmare to end.

*

The first thing Tom noticed when he woke up was the darkness in the room. Since he and Charlotte had moved together he hadn't slept in complete darkness anymore. The next thing he realised was the absence of his girlfriend. And then he sat up, his feet got tangled up with the sheets as he hastily tried to leave the bed. The nightlight didn't shine although it was plugged in. There was an electricity cut and Charlotte wasn't by his side. He grasped for his mobile and tottered out of the room, stubbed his toe on the doorframe. 

A curse escaped his lips. He turned the flashlight of his mobile on and let the light wander through the hallway. He gasped quietly when he saw her sitting on the floor, shaking and glancing emptily into the space. "Charlotte." he whispered softly, frightened and desperate.  
How long was she sitting here? How long in the darkness she feared so much? Gradually he crouched down to be on the same eyelevel as her.  
"Darling, how long do you sit here?", he asked and stroked her cheek gently with his knuckles. She did not answer. Instead she stared into the darkness as if she saw something in it. Tom had to sigh. He carefully turned her face towards him and she looked at him. Tom still had the feeling that she wasn't really seeing him but that was better. With her cheek cupped in his large hand he tried to talk to her, make her stop drifting away from him and into her past.  
He knew that he was currently talking to a way younger Charlotte. "There is no one, babydoll.", he said faintly, knew that she saw things in the shadows. "Tell me where you are. You know how to do it, darling. We have talked about this.", he encouraged her. 

She blinked a few times, the light of his mobile which lay on the floor next to them was dazzling her a bit. But hurting light was better than none. "I am in England.", she breathed. "Yes, darling. Carry on." She had to think about it for a moment, her hands were shaking. "In London. In our...our house?", it sounded rather like a question but it was alright. "Exactly.", Tom said and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. "There is no one right?", she glanced up at him, wanted a reassurance for her words. Her boyfriend nodded. "Just you and me." It was silent for a small moment. 

"Tom?" she asked. "Yes?" he was holding her small cold hands in his. "I... I have-", her voice broke and a sob escaped her throat. He wanted to say something, tell her everything was alright. The light suddenly returned in the moment she opened her mouth again.  
She didn't had to say anything anymore. He saw the wet spot on her pyjama bottoms immediately. "Oh Charlotte.", he whispered. Tears filled up her eyes as she covered her face with her hands. She felt so ashamed. "I'm sorry, Tom.", she bawled. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry.", that was everything she could say while shaking her head.  
"Stop it.", he said. His tone was firm and a little chiding but he knew that sometimes exactly that was what she needed.  
Charlotte looked at him with reddened eyes and dilated pupils. Her breath was still a bit frantic. He tilted his head to the right side and observed her for a moment. 

A sigh escaped him. "Can you stay up, darling?", he asked her, his voice got soft again. She nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's get you into the tub." He helped her get up.  
The knees of the young woman were weak, she fell against his chest. His strong hands immediately gripped her forearms, supporting her. "Everything alright?", he questioned. "Yes.", she murmured. Tom took a moment to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. "No crying anymore, my darling girl."  
She bit her lower lip as he kissed the lids of her eyes. "I love you.", he whispered faintly. 

"I love you."


End file.
